Editorial photo #13862467 Human Interest
Nepal: Bhoto Jatra Concludes Rato Machhindranath Jatra In Lalitpur
Nihira Bajracharya, the Kumari (living goddess) of Patan, attends Bhoto Jatra, the concluding ritual of the Rato Machhindranath Festival, in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026. The ceremony marks the formal end of the chariot procession honoring Rato Machhindranath, the rain deity revered by both Hindu and Buddhist communities across the Kathmandu Valley. The festival, one of Nepal's longest-running religious traditions, lasts from one to four months depending on lunar cycles and local rituals; historians trace its origins to roughly 1,300 years ago. Bhoto Jatra centers on the public display of a jewel-studded vest (bhoto). According to legend, the vest is given to a grateful farmer by serpent king Karkotak after the farmer cures the queen's eye ailment with a medicinal paste prepared at Taudaha; a later dispute over ownership places the vest in Machhindranath's care. Each year the vest is shown from the chariot as an invitation for anyone with valid proof of ownership to come forward; no claimant has ever successfully proven ownership. The 2026 ceremony is attended by senior government officials, including Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Home Minister Sudan Gurung, and Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun, alongside thousands of devotees, underscoring the event's enduring cultural significance. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto)
